The history of scuba diving begins in the 1930s, when Jacques Cousteau, a French engineer, produces the first underwater film. Simone Cousteau and her husband loaded black and white still camera films into a movie camera. The first underwater movie was produced. Emile Gagnan, an engineer in industrial gas control systems at L'Air Liquide et Cie designed the Aqualung. In 1943, it becomes commercially feasible to dive. The Cousteau family tests the prototype units in 1943.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau grew up in Marseilles, France. He spent his childhood swimming in the warm ocean around his home. After graduating high school he decided to join the navy. He became a naval gunnery teacher and a master diver while serving in the navy. After his time in the navy, he was fascinated by the underwater world and started to swim down to explore the seabed. He also developed an underwater camera.
Emile Gagnan
Many of the innovations used in modern SCUBA diving were developed by Emile Gagnan. Aqualung, a breathing system that allows a diver breathe in underwater water, was the result of his efforts in the 1950s. This invention made scubadiving safer and more accessible.
Henry Fleuss
Henry Fleuss is an innovator in scubadiving history. He developed the first self-contained breathing apparatus and is credited with many other innovations. He worked at several companies, including Siebe, Gorman & Co., where he patented the designs in 1878. His invention was revolutionary in that it allowed the diver the freedom to work without the assistance of a pump and a large crew.
Harry Houdini
When you think of scuba diving, you probably think of Harry Houdini. He was an escape artist and performed incredible escapes. He also demonstrated how to escape from a straitjacket, locks, and suspended objects. Motion pictures have captured his escape skills.
Mark V diving helmet
Mark V diving helmet has a rich heritage in scuba diving. It was first created for the US Navy, in 1916. It continued to be used until 1984. It is considered the first diving helmet. There are however other helmets which date back to 1820s and even earlier.
William Beebe
William Beebe's scuba diving story is not just a tale of adventures under the sea. He was also an explorer who took many dives to the sea for scientific research. He set up a laboratory for marine research on Nonsuch Island in Bermuda and studied the sea life. He researched the behavior of marine animals and created a unique diving helmet. Beebe also became the first to dive into the deep ocean with a bathysphere. The device was capable of lowering a person down to 3,028ft (923m) below the surface. This record lasted until 1949.